# Could Dating an AI Be Better Than Dating a Human? Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/open-to-debate-610487/could-dating-an-ai-be-better-than-dating-a-human Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/open-to-debate-610487/could-dating-an-ai-be-better-than-dating-a-human.md Podcast: [Open to Debate](https://stenobird.com/podcast/open-to-debate-610487) Published: 2026-02-13T10:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL5606581765.mp3?updated=1770919093 Audio file: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/ADL5606581765.mp3?updated=1770919093 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/open-to-debate-610487/episodes/could-dating-an-ai-be-better-than-dating-a-human Duration seconds: 3195 ## Resource Love in the time of AI? Some people seeking romance or friendship are turning to AI chatbots to fulfill those desires, but could they surpass traditional human relationships? Those who say they can argue that AI can offer empathy and safety, and it’s a solution for those left out of traditional dating. Those saying they can’t argue that intimacy is complicated and cannot be replicated in code. Now we debate: Could Dating an AI Be Better Than Dating a Human? Arguing Yes: Thao Ha, Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the @HEART Lab at Arizona State University Arguing No: Justin Garcia, Executive Director & Senior Scientist at the Kinsey Institute; Chief Scientific Advisor to Match.com; Author of "The Intimate Animal" Nayeema Raza, Journalist and Host of "Smart Girl Dumb Questions", is the guest moderator. Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/open-to-debate-610487/episodes/could-dating-an-ai-be-better-than-dating-a-human/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/open-to-debate-610487/could-dating-an-ai-be-better-than-dating-a-human.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.